"I am honored to serve as chairman of the AF&PA board of directors and look forward to meeting head-on the challenges and opportunities on the horizon this year,” says Scheible. “The association continues to demonstrate its credibility as the organization for our industry’s public policy and advocacy initiatives, sustainability and environmental regulation. Our industry has a good story to tell, and I look forward to helping share it more broadly with the business community and Capitol Hill alike.”

"David is a proven leader both within his own organization and with AF&PA, and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the AF&PA board on the issues affecting our industry,” says Donna Harman, AF&PA’s president and CEO. “Our Immediate past chairman Alexander Toeldte saw us through a busy 2012 in Washington, and I know that our new chairman and officers will continue his good work to advance policies and initiatives that will support the health of our industry for years to come.”

Also elected to positions by AF&PA board are the following:

first vice chairman - John Williams, president and CEO of Domtar

second vice chairman - Mark Gardner, president and CEO of Sappi Fine Paper North America.

Beginning terms as members of the AF&PA’s board of directors in 2013 are:

John Crowe, Buckeye Technologies Inc.;

Ray Dillon, Deltic Timber Corp.;

Mike Fiterman, Liberty Diversified International;

James Morgan, Interstate Resources Inc.; and

Mark Staton, PaperWorks Industries Inc.

In one of the board's first actions of 2013, the group has launched its advocacy on AF&PA’s key policy initiatives for the year, according to a news release from the organization. Those initiatives include a focus on sustainability, air and greenhouse gas regulations, carbon neutrality of biomass, recycling, access to paper-based communications, U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, products fees, postal service reforms and other policies affecting manufacturing.